book cover

I’m loving the Parent’s Guide series Marko (and friends) are doing. They are great and affordable resources for parents who need extra information and resources to understand their teens. That’s why we’re reviewing The Parent’s Guide to Understanding Teenage Brains today.

I’ve read a lot about teenage brains and all the recent research that’s been done in this area, so I wasn’t exactly a clean slate when I read this book. That means I had to read it from the perspective of a ‘standard’ parent, not from someone who already knows a lot about this topic. Because for the first group, this small book is a great resource, but for the second group there obviously won’t be much news.

The strong point of this book is that it doesn’t focus on the science, but on the applications of that science. Marko isn’t a brain specialist, but he sure does know what he’s talking about. Yet he doesn’t stuff the book full with useless scientific facts and research, but instead focuses on what matters to parents and what will them help understand their teens better.

And I think he succeeds in that mission. Parents who have read this book will better understand certain behavior from their teen, like the impulsive behavior and the lack of rational thinking at times.

As with the other books in this series, Marko writes with compassion and loads of experience, both as a parent of teens and as youth leader. And that shows, his love for all things teen shines through and inspires you to a better understanding.

I think the book could have been thicker and more comprehensive as there’s a lot more to write about this important topic, but I’m guessing that didn’t fit the format of this series. By the way, I think this is also a great resource for people who work with teens, like teachers and obviously youth leaders!